Ceci Bastida is one of those artists who should have been doing solo work a very long time ago. For reasons mysterious to her fans, she chose to perform from the comfort of a larger band (Tijuana NO!) and later as backup for a more established artist (Julieta Venegas).
Ceci started off at 15 with the punk/reggae/ska band Tijuana NO!, one of the most important punk/ska groups of Latin America in the '90s, and a band that was notoriously rebellious and confrontational. Alt.Latino co-host Felix Contreras had a chance to see the band one night in Fresno, California. He describes them as "raw, reggae-influenced and political."
Out of the school of Tijuana NO! graduated the fantastic Julieta Venegas. Bastida seemed comfortable backing Venegas for a decade. In a recent article, the Los Angeles Times describes her work with Venegas as "a creatively enriching if somewhat self-effacing assignment considering that many had expected her to embark immediately on a solo career."
This year, Bastida finally decided to take center stage with her first solo album, Veo La Marea (I See The Tide).
She recently paid a visit to Alt.Latino, shared some tracks from that new album, and answered the question that’s been on every fan's mind: Why on Earth did it take her so long to do solo work? She also shared the music on her iPod these days, from Alt.Latino favorites like Rita Indiana to bands we hadn’t heard of such as Astro, from Chile.
Ceci was a great guest DJ. Not only did she have amazing stories to tell (she joined a notorious Tijuana punk band at 15, so she’s got to have great stories), but her musical recommendations were excellent. Let us know what you think of the music she likes in the comments section.
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